Members’ Native Plant Sale Kicks Off
Our annual plant sale got off to an early start this year, thanks to warmer weather and some nice big plants donated by Brian Black at Bay College. Members got first dibs on some special species that quickly sold out, including wild petunia, purple clematis, and bottle gentian. Yet another benefit of being part of WOK!
Highlights: we’re offering some enormous second-year great blue lobelia (pictured right) that are practically leaping out of their pots, plus some beefy prairie dropseed and little bluestem (pictured left) sourced from U.P. Native Plants.
Thanks to Everyone Who Made Big Yanks a Big Success
In June, volunteers showed up to four Big Yanks at local community gardens, removing invasive plants and setting the stage for natives to come into their own, like these at the Hancock Beach bioswale. Yanks were held at Nara Nature Park, Glad Tidings Assembly of God, Krist Meadow, and the bioswale.
Many thanks to everyone who is making such a big difference at these community native gardens.
A Few Good Things
Plant rescue
WOK members joined Jill Fisher June 12 (second from left) of the Keweenaw Land Trust to rescue native plants which would otherwise be displaced by trail construction.
Transplanting bee
Several members spent two hours transplanting seedlings into pots, chatting, and solving the problems of the world June 10 during a potting bee in Marcia’s back yard. This prep work is essential to the success of our sale.
School donation
WOK donated seedlings, pots, and potting mix to teacher Laura Givens and her students to support their efforts to start a native garden.
Flood Damages Kestner Garden
Member Craig Waddell reports that recent runoff eroded portions of the native garden in Kestner Park. The three-plus inches of rain that fell June 21 caused Huron Creek to overflow its banks and rip out some of the smaller plants.
Fortunately, many of the heavy-duty natives planted alongside the stream managed to shrug off the flood.
Pot Luck Garden Tour and Meeting July 15
Everyone is invited to the board’s next get together, which will be held in person at Karen Cayce’s house in Hancock. We’ll check out her spectacular garden, eat our favorite foods, and then hold the board meeting. Nonmembers are more than welcome to stay for the meeting as well as the garden tour and potluck, but if you want to leave early, no judgment.
More information will be emailed later.